This is it in a nutshell. The candidate with the attributes laid out in post 1 was the R's choice from the get-go. Those attributes are what attracted the base.

 

Clyde's question is valid. President-elect Trump is the face of the party.

 

What attracted "the base" to Trump was it wasn't the status quo. The Bush and Obama administrations created the interest in a Trump presidency.

What attracted "the base" to Trump was it wasn't the status quo. The Bush and Obama administrations created the interest in a Trump presidency.

 

That's part of the story, for sure.

 

The question is - why this particular outsider?

That's part of the story, for sure.

 

The question is - why this particular outsider?

 

There is not one particular answer you can point at and say, "that's it". There are many different reasons different people voted for him.

 

I don't know why that is so difficult to understand.

That's part of the story, for sure.

 

The question is - why this particular outsider?

 

Status quo change that goes beyond 8 years of the current administration. They did not want 'The Establishment' people. And that applies really to the masses in both parties.

 

Early on, it was well known that Jeb Bush was 'the establishment' pick. They did studies and found the 'Bush' name was found to be politically fatiguing to the base. They still ran him. Rubio was probably the original backup. But he showed lack of presidential leadership under pressure and was dismissed. In comes Cruz to save the day for the establishment. He is blatantly constitutionally ineligible in eyes of up to 40% of the Repubs and is a Brush, establishment guy married to a Goldman Sachs wife. He also lacks leadership. Kasich was never viable and never backed by the establishment.

 

'The Establishment' was on the ticket in this cycle. The Establishment being the family cabal of Clintons and the Bushes (who actively work together since Mena days), the Chicago radical power base (Obamas), the media/political power couples, the media/banking power couples (Andrea Mitchell/Greenspan), etc.

 

The people did not want 'the Establishment' in either party. The Repubs did not go to the lengths of creating super-delegates and rigging primaries and Trump ended up winning - with the most primary votes EVER for a Repub candidate. And that was done in a crowded field.

 

Without super-delegates, insiders in the DNC doing everything they could to fix the result (DWS, others) and shenanigans during the primary voting Bernie Sandars almost definitely wins the Democratic nomination - as an anti-establishment, outsider guy. As much as no one saw Trump winning the general, no one saw Bernie hanging to almost the end of the cycle even with all the obstacles thrown at him.

 

So what the people wanted was clear with their picks on both sides of the major parties. They wanted real change and wanted the Establishment to go away.

 

Personally, had it been Bernie vs Bush and definitely if it had been Bernie vs. Cruz, I would have gone Bernie. Personally, my anti-establishment bias is that strong that I would have taken the honest big-gov guy over the crooked establishment Repub.

I think there was a very interesting divide for this election. People who were so anti government that they wanted an outsider in there no matter what his policies were. I'll never understand that logic because what a candidate believes holds way more value to me than how long he/ she has been in politics. To here some GOPers say they would have voted for Bernie if he was running against a few of the republican noms is simply jaw dropping. Somehow Bernie and Trump are viewed as outsiders and thus similar. That makes zero sense, all that means is you want change for the sake of change with no regard to right or wrong.

I think there was a very interesting divide for this election. People who were so anti government that they wanted an outsider in there no matter what his policies were. I'll never understand that logic because what a candidate believes holds way more value to me than how long he/ she has been in politics. To here some GOPers say they would have voted for Bernie if he was running against a few of the republican noms is simply jaw dropping. Somehow Bernie and Trump are viewed as outsiders and thus similar. That makes zero sense, all that means is you want change for the sake of change with no regard to right or wrong.

 

And it still doesn't explain why change wasn't voted for all the way down the ticket. Congress has a horrible approval rating...yet very few changes were made. Why spare those guys, especially when everyone is calling for term limits??

And it still doesn't explain why change wasn't voted for all the way down the ticket. Congress has a horrible approval rating...yet very few changes were made. Why spare those guys, especially when everyone is calling for term limits??

 

IMO, voters knew that Trump with a Dem Congress would lead to more of the same. Look at the past 4 years. Very little was accomplished. Trump with a Republican Congress and Senate would be able get things passed. Voters wanted to give Trump everything he needed to be successful.

 

I think Trump will be a very good President at uniting Congress. He will be able to work with both sides because as a business man, he understands the need to work with people of all though processes in order to be successful.

IMO, voters knew that Trump with a Dem Congress would lead to more of the same. Look at the past 4 years. Very little was accomplished. Trump with a Republican Congress and Senate would be able get things passed. Voters wanted to give Trump everything he needed to be successful.

 

I think Trump will be a very good President at uniting Congress. He will be able to work with both sides because as a business man, he understands the need to work with people of all though processes in order to be successful.

 

Still not making sense....why all the calls for term limits then??

And it still doesn't explain why change wasn't voted for all the way down the ticket. Congress has a horrible approval rating...yet very few changes were made. Why spare those guys, especially when everyone is calling for term limits??

Ignorance of the fact that the president can't unilaterally dictate the direction of the nation. You think I'm kidding. I've met some Trump supporters who think he will be able to build the wall, put Hillary in jail, bring jobs back to America all by himself. Our education system in America is failing us. This wasn't hyperbole, people actually believe this.

Here is a article a young lady wrote yesterday. It shows how alot of Rural America thinks about the attitude of Washington and the Media. This is what beat Clinton. Take a few minutes to read it. Read the comments from the article. You want answers. Here they are.

 

I am the Rural Uneducated Person

Still not making sense....why all the calls for term limits then??

 

To get rid of the lifers. Not all congressmen and senators voted back in were lifers like Mitch McConnell.

@Clyde. In answer to your original statement:

 

We are a very hypocritical people. On both sides of the aisle. I understand your original post and have long asked such questions myself.

 

I remember having a disagreement with a church member back in '97 or '98 over Clinton's infidelity. He demanded the President resign. I told him if I was advising Bill Clinton I would say the same. Resign and work on your marriage and your family and get counseling. But the President was listening to me.

 

I then asked the man, "Where was this vitriol over GOP leadership? Newt Gingrich?"

 

Democrat or Republican looks beyond their ideals and settles for flawed personalities as long as they "get the job done."

 

Just my take.

Ignorance of the fact that the president can't unilaterally dictate the direction of the nation. You think I'm kidding. I've met some Trump supporters who think he will be able to build the wall, put Hillary in jail, bring jobs back to America all by himself. Our education system in America is failing us. This wasn't hyperbole, people actually believe this.

 

Not ignorance at all. Had they elected Trump and voted out the Republican Senate and house, then you would be right about ignorance. Trump was given a republican Congress because people know it will take all 3 branches. It is closed minded people that believe there is no hope that are the problem with America.

 

So you don't believe he can get jobs back? You don't think he will build a wall or secure the border? You think HRC is above the law if proven she mishandled classified info and used a "pay for play" scheme, which you and every other normal citizen would be in jail for?

 

Trump was voted in by hard working people that want manufacturing jobs, want our current laws enforced, and want our Politicians to put America first rather than globalization first.

 

The ignorant people are the people saying Trump was voted in by uneducated, white American men. There are no facts to support this.

Edited November 10, 20169 yr by Builder1214

I think one reason everyone is still scratching their head over this is that Hillary, the news media only knew one section of America. If they had really knew that section of America they would have seen this coming from a mile away. The "deplorables" were already there waiting. She stoked those feelings even further and it drove Trumps campaign to the point he won.

Not ignorance at all. Had they elected Trump and voted out the Republican Senate and house, then you would be right about ignorance. Trump was given a republican Congress because people know it will take all 3 branches. It is closed minded people that believe there is no hope that are the problem with America.

 

So you don't believe he can get jobs back? You don't think he will build a wall or secure the border? You think HRC is above the law if proven she mishandled classified info and used a "pay for play" scheme, which you and every other normal citizen would be in jail for?

 

Trump was voted in by hard working people that want manufacturing jobs, want our current laws enforced, and want our Politicians to put America first rather than globalization first.

 

The ignorant people are the people saying Trump was voted in by uneducated, white American men. There are no facts to support this.

I think he can do everything he wants to accomplish. I'm a conservative and agree with quite a few of the things on Trump's agenda. But man you are just denying the facts of Trumps voting pool. He was voted in by the white, uneducated male. Where do educated, diverse groups of people congregate? Cities and the surrounding suburbs. What counties did Hillary win nationwide? The cities and surrounding suburbs. There are plenty of white, black, male, female, educated people in these areas too, but they were so put off by Trump's rhetoric that they couldn't vote for him. They have friends who are black, hispanic, gay, muslim, etc. and they can't help but think about them when Trump said the things he said.